The American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, held meetings today with leaders of Arab countries in Jordan after passing through Israel and before traveling to Turkey tomorrow, seeking to negotiate a humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip.
During his visit to Amman, Blinken reiterated his support for establishing a temporary ceasefire to be able to send humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian territory.
“The United States estimates that these efforts will be facilitated by humanitarian pauses,” Blinken highlighted in Jordan, referring to the need to protect civilians and accelerate the delivery of aid to the enclave, the AFP news agency reported.
Blinken, who yesterday met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, plans to continue his tour of Turkey, where he will be tomorrow and Monday, according to a statement from the State Department.
According to a report from the ANSA news agency, Blinken met in the Jordanian capital with the interim prime minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, whose country hosts the Shiite militia Hezbollah.
According to the same Italian news agency, the head of US foreign policy also held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose country has become Hamas’s most influential interlocutor and has been key to negotiating the limited release of hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist group.
While in Israel, the US foreign minister pressed Netanyahu to declare a pause in the fighting to allow hostages to be freed and humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, amid growing concern over the rising death toll. civilians.
However, Netanyahu responded that Israel “will continue in full force” until Hamas frees all the hostages.
Blinken seeks on this tour to address the long-term perspectives for the Palestinian territory, which includes, according to Washington, that Israelis and Palestinians would each have to have their own state, in separate areas of the city of Jerusalem.
The State Department did not confirm in its statement a meeting between Blinken and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, although according to those around him it is likely to happen.
Erdogan reported today that he cut off all contact with the Israeli prime minister due to Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and recalled his ambassador to the Jewish State for consultations.
In Ankara, leaders will also address the conflict in Ukraine and ending Sweden’s membership in NATO, which was long blocked by Turkey.
Attacks by Hamas militants on Israeli soil on October 7 left more than 1,400 dead, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.
Israeli retaliatory bombings on the Gaza Strip have caused nearly 9,500 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007.
Source: Ambito
